NHS ambulance figures reveal areas for improvement

Data on the performance of individual ambulance trusts has been published in the UK for the first time, revealing areas in which quality improvements can be made.

The figures are to be published on a regular basis under new plans by health secretary Andrew Lansley, with the aim of making it easier to judge how services are performing.

It was shown that 90.8 percent of patients eligible for primary angioplasty following a heart attack received treatment within two-and-a-half hours, while 34.4 percent of national calls were successfully resolved without transport to an accident and emergency department.

However, it was also noted that quality of care varied greatly between different regions, which was highlighted as a key area for improvement by Mr Lansley.

The minister added: "Transparency is at the heart of our plans to modernise the NHS. We know that it can be a powerful tool to help improve services, foster innovation and empower patients and clinicians."

Last month, the government published new figures showing that the number of patients staying in mixed-sex accommodation at NHS hospitals has fallen to an all-time low, which was attributed to the new policy of reporting regularly on performance in this area.